Please help does anyone know if there is a treatment for dependency/addiction to zopiclone?
I take between 20 and 40 7.5mg a day and it has increased slowly over the last six years. They are both prescribed and purchased from the internet.
I do not wish to substitute one addiction for another but cannot face going cold turkey.
I took an overdose last week and took over 120 zopiclone tablets along with a combination of other medication and alcohol and drugs.
I am waiting for the crisis team to contact me.
I need something to help with the withdrawals as I have read that the treatment is weaning and not to stop altogether when my body is used to this amount as it can bring on epilepsy and heart attacks. Ironic as I tried to end my life only last week you would think that I don't care.
I Have been to the doctor and the hospital obviously and they would not prescribe me anything.
HELP!!!!! I'm very scared.
I just signed up because I have a similar problem. And no one has even replied to your post! That says it all really, why did I bother signing up? I have a similar problem, maybe not as acute as yours. I take 3.75mg
Zopiclone every night and and have done for 15 years. Now a new doctor has stopped my pills and given
me a leaflet and phone number re someone to talk to about sleep problems. I feel very angry that he will
not listen to me and anxious that my life is going to fall apart when I can no longer sleep anymore.
Dear Earthakitt
I really feel for you. I, too was taking large doses of zopiclone daily -around 20 to 30 over about 4 years. I was very fortunate to have an understanding GP when I fessed up & told her I couldn't go on any longer. She weaned me off them by using the Ashton Manual protocol of slowly switching me to diazepam, then reducing the diazepam dose by 2mg every two weeks. Google the Ashton Manual - it shows the diazepam equivalent to all types of benzos as well as the Z drugs.
I'm no saint btw - i slipped up twice and went back to buying z drugs again - the last time, i ran out, and went into shocking withdrawal. I phoned an ambulance - they were fab- and the hospital kept me in for a week, starting me on the diaz withdrawal. God forbid that I slip up again - it's too easy to get hold of them.
Please go back to your GP and tell them the state you're in and that you need help. Beg and cry, if you must. I do hope you find some help. As I said - I absolutely understand where you're at. Sending you a big hug x
Hello,
My dosage has also crept up to around 30 a day and I feel its ruining my life. My husband is about to leave me. We've just moved to Australia and he is threatening to send me back home, all of which is devastating. Definitely googling the Ashton Manual, can't go on like this... I have no idea where to start though.
Hello Tilly and Shelagh,
There is hope my darling. I went into recovery and don't get me wrong it was hell I lost my mind then a week in . I discovered I was pregnant something I had been trying for for the last ten years. I couldn't believe it. After being raped and abused for six years which started me on these pills in the first place. I didn't ever think I deserved or could have children and have a happy life because I was damaged goods some self inflicted most inflicted upon me. My ex murdered two of my ex boyfriends and held a gun to my brothers head threatened to burn down my brothers house with his wife and three babies in them. He murdered a lot of people and terrorised and brutally violently bullied everyone. The police couldn't help me. I was offered to have my name changed and go into witness protection programme. I was taunted everyday with death threats of me my family. He visited any friends I had and told them if they ever contacted me again he would cut their heads off. he got to one of them. Everyday he would make me watch videos of him stabbing people up the arse and making them eat dog shit while they are screaming in agony. Videos of his friends gang raping women. Videos of him slashing peoples Achilles tendon was one of his favourites so they would never walk again. I would have to watch the same video about four hundred times until I couldn't keep my eyes open and he would hold them open until four or five in the morning. So much more but that's by the by.
First of all you have made a start.
You are acknowledging you have a problem.
What I have learn't is to go to a specialised clinic dealing with this specific problem and DO NOT involve your G.P. There will be something available and you don't always need a referral from your doctor.
I have gone through hell and back.
Sadly my body couldn't take it and my first twins heartbeat stopped at 9 weeks then I miscarried my second beautiful baby at 13 weeks.
I tried twice to take my own life had a complete and total meltdown and got arrested which I have never been involved with the police and ended up in a mental hospital but I'm still fucking here and nothing is going to fucking beat me anymore.
YOU WILL GO THROUGH HELL AND YOU WILL THINK IT WILL NEVER END.
But it does.
Where there is life there is hope.
YOU WILL BE OK I PROMISE YOU!
If I can do it you sure as shit can.
I'm sending as much love to you all with this problem it's your own personal hell but you come out the other side.
Tilly your husband is trying to shock you into a reaction but he doesn't know any better you need love and kindness now.
You need to be your priority now.
If you want to talk further i'll be here for anyone.
Tonnes of love
xxxxx
Dear EarthaKitt,
I am very sorry to hear it. I have never encountered anyone taking such a large dose and I would be very wary of the toxic effects that might have.
But may I ask, what is the underlying cause of your stress? Most people turn to zopiclone for relief of something that is worrying them, be it a recent bereivement, worry at work, even simpy impossible hours - but you sound like you have some serious concerns.
First you need to find a Doctor you can relate to - and they are good, and they are out there - sometimes takes a bit of trial and error to find the right one, then have a good chat. For gods sake don't take 20 odd of the things - your body will just become immune to it.
Hi, I know this page is over a year old but I arrived at it via google as I was taking 12 of the zopiclones a day, because of stress in my life I could not cope with, but my experience is nowhere near as traumatic as yours. Reading what you went through made me cry for you, I don't mean that to be insulting.
I bet it felt horrible that no one replied to your post, and I am sorry about that.
My heart goes out to all of you who have had zopiclone addictions.
Hello christine61990,
Thank you.
I was just checking my emails and this came in. I haven't been back to this page since and yes it did really hurt that there was very response.
I cry just thinking about this brutal time in my life and think of removing this post but I have left it for others who may find themselves in desperation.
Sadly I am now disabled with a central nervous system disease which means I am in pain throughout my entire body from the moment I wake up to the last thing when I close my eyes and throughout the night many times waking in pain. There is no cure and the medication doesn't work.I am single still and still have no children. I will be having an operation in the next month which I think will leave me unable to ever have a child.
But I want to say although I will never get over what happened and is happening. It's ok. I'm alive and I'm a survivor. I will keep fighting every day to overcome life's trials. All the problems are in my past now and look to the future with hope.
I haven't abused zopiclone or anything else for years now.
you can't keep a good woman down!
Huge love to you and everyone who is going through their own issues.
ššš»šš«š¤ xxxxxxx
I feel you, exactly the same, 30-40 for me as well. A lot of people use valium to taper off of Zopiclone as directed by your doctor. I personally never had withdrawals as I didn't do it so frequently since it isn't the easiest drug to get but I was admitted to a psych ward for my addiction among other things and then I was flagged by the pharmacys so I'm unable to get them now. I know you say you don't want to substitute one addiction for another but it would be nearly impossible to quit cold turkey and not have withdrawals. And also, just because you had an addiction to one drug doesn't mean you'll have an addiction to any others. I've personally used Xanax and OxyContin but never felt any urge to use it again even though they are some of the most heavily abused drugs in the world but Zopiclone for me was just my dream drug. However I am not saying go out and buy Xanax or anything, just follow the advice of your doctor, he/she will know what's best for you.
It's been over a year, are you ok now?
I took zopiclone for 4 months and stopped cold turkey, it is very hard , 10 nights without now, but have night sweats and tennitus. Please go to your doctor, he will be very supportive and help you, you must get off them, they are highly addictive and more importantly dangerous. I'm glad I did it, I feel so good I'm in control again though I will have to put up with symptoms for a while, it's worth it. Please get medical help, they will help you.
I felt exactly the same way. My son helped me, he took cocaine when young and just stopped. He explained withdrawal will not be as bad as you think, not as bad as the he'll you're in now. They stop working anyway when your body gets used to them. Just take control and be proud of that, be awake but don't take any. Take lots of exercise and have a busy day and then do it. If you get to the morning and don't take any it's the best feeling in the world and the second night you will doze. Don't get up cause you have to train your body to rest. You don't have to be be unconscious and eventually you will sleep and you don't know when you slip over, it'll happen. Take control, this drug doesn't work, docs are right they are poise. Though I do agree doctors need to be trained in people skills. Councillors are different and are great, non-judgemental and supportive.. Give it a go.
are different and are and are great
I just got this in my inbox, but only signed on to these dicussions about 6 weeks ago.
Just wondering if you are OK? Please let us know. That is a very high dose to stop all at once, and I do hope you found the support you needed.
The pharmas want you to take their meds, and buy as many as possible, then there is no help to stop when you need it.
They will call you a "junkie", they will call you worse. But you are a person who deserves love, respect and support like any other.
Please let us know if you are ok.
I am anticipating great news : )
Hi,
I was taking massive doses of zopiclone plus benzos, for forty years. I sought help in January and have gradually tapered off, under the supervision of a specialist doctor. I am now on 10mg valium, for life, and I feel so much better.
I hope your own journey came to a good end. Please let us know.
Love Tess xxx
Well done for quitting, i am myself trying to taper down to stop, however i feel i have no one to talk to. Never had an issue with anything in the past but these are a nightmare.
Iām so glad I found your post because I thought I was the only one that was addicted to this amount and could take the amount that you have taken in the past. It started through o glad I found your post because I thought I was the only one that was addicted to this Amount. It started It started with the complete neglect of the neglect of the mental Health care system in this country where I was left for two years no medications change no psychiatrist seen or no CPN.
They just abandoned me although itās against the law because I made a complaint as after three years I still hadnāt received any beneficial therapy I have been promised from the start this just made matters worse. I found by accident that there is a pic owthey just abandoned me although itās against the law because I made a complaint as after three years I still hadnāt received any beneficial therapy I have been promised from the start this just made matters worse. I found by accident that the zopiclone was helping with my chronic anxiety and also acting as a form of stimulant keeping me awake as I have a chronic sleeping disorder where I actually am hypersonic where I sleep too much so this was great for me, however after a while as you know only too much your body becomes tolerate to it and no longer works. Like you I was getting them off the Internet in the UK but theyāve also stopped it now so I have found you can get soppy clone off anymore. I tried to be honest with my doctor so they basically cut off all my care my Sleeping appointment my dietician appointment my psychiatry appointments I was allowed no care no therapy nothing only to go to this rubbish addiction clinic who have never had anybody addicted to zopiclone before and didnāt have a clue what they were doing. I discharged myself promptly. I now Really do not know what to do as I am actually have major resistant depression and should be on it under a specialist at all times I have no one no support no medical team no nothing Unlike you Iām more scared of the withdrawals in the actual coming off of it
I am so glad to have read that read that through resistant depression and anxiety I accidentally took a zopiclone one day instead of a Lorazepam and it in my anxiety the world of God and the more I took it the more it kept me awake because I have a chronic sleeping disorder a bit like narcolepsy so was quite good for me however as time goes on we all know we get tolerant to this and I need to get off them. I went to my GP and got no support whatsoever she cancel all of my sleeping appointments, everything and said I had to go to a clinic to get off them. I went to this clinic who didnāt have a clue what they were doing as Iāve never come across a soppy clone addiction before and I was just basically left to do what I wanted which I didnāt know what that was. There is no mental health care in this country this is the whole reason why I got myself in this mess in the first place and I I should Are you under a specialist at all times I actually have known that no mental health team whatsoever at the moment Iāve just been left to fend for myself alone any ideas anyone
iām so glad Iāve met somebody that was taking the same amount as me I thought I was the only one. I told my GP I thought I would be having or becoming dependent on them and I was treated like a drug addict. She cancelled all of my appointments with my mental health team my sleeping clinic everything. Then she sent me to this place called turning point who didnāt even know what to do with me. I am now alone under no mental health team whatsoever a doctor that doesnāt understand and then exactly the same situation probably worse than I was in the first place Iāve already waited for years for cancelling Iāve got a get of these dam things but it looks like Iām going to have to do it myself. Paragraph as you canāt get them off the Internet anymore and as my doctor will not prescribe me the diazepam what the hell am I supposed to do yeah sheās telling me not to go cold turkey because I will have a fit!